Flexible connector for batteries.



No. 745,193. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. P.KENNEDY. v FLEXIBLE CONNECTOR FOR BATTERIES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1903.

10 MODEL.

WITNESSES. IN VENT 0H.

1 Eirwiieawze@ E r B y A 7TORNE Y m u EM PATRICK KENNEDY, on NEW YORK,

Eatented lr l'ovcmber 24, 1903.

PATENT ()FFICE.

N. Y., ASSIGNOR TOCONSOLIDATED RAILWAY ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND EQUIPMENT COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

FLEXIBLE CONNECTOR FOR BATTERlES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,193, dated November 24, 1903.

Application filed June 30,1903. Serial No. 16 8,696. (No model.)

T at whom, it may OOH/68?:

Be it known that I, PATRICK KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Connectors for Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the flexible conro ductors such as are employed for connecting the positive terminal or lug of one storage battery with the negative terminal or lug of another; and the object of the invention is to provide the conductor, which has a covering of insulating material, with an improved form of coupling for securing it to the lug on the battery.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a sectional view of the coupling and the lug to which it is secured. Fig. 2 is a view of the coupling as it appears before the conductor is secured therein. Fig. 8 includes an edge View of the coupling without the nut and shows also a view of the attaching end of the conductor. Fig. 4 is a side view of the nut detached. Fig. 5 is a general view of the connector on a smaller scale than the other views.

A designates the lug on the battery, and B the flexible connecting-conductor which conveys the current from one lug to the other. This conductor may be a bundle of wires provided with an insulating-covering. Such a conductor is in itself well known.

The coupling whereby the conductor 13 is electrically connected with the lug A will now be described.

0 is the socket-piece of the coupling, and

0 D is the nut thereof. These are made of a metal or alloy which will not be materially affected by the acids or acid vapors from the battery, a compound of lead and antimony being preferred. This alloy being relatively soft a screw 6 of harder metal, as brass, is secured in the head I) of the socket-piece by casting the softer metal about it, and a block 0, (see Fig. 1,) also of harder metal, is embedded and cast in the nut D in which to form the screw-threads to receive the screw a. The socket formed in the stem (1 of the socket-piece O to receive the end of the conductor is made large enough at its outer part to take in the full insulation 9 of the conductor; but in preparing the extremity of the conductor the wiresf (see Figs. land 3) are denuded for a little way, and these denuded wires may fit rathersnugly in the inner part of the socket. In order to secure the conductor firmly in the socket-piece and also to insure electrical connection between the socket and the wires, there is a lateral aperture t' formed in the stem of the socket-piece, said aperture opening into the inner part of the socket occupied by the denuded wires fof the conductor, and when the conductor is in place in the socket molten solder is poured into this aperture, so as to fill the spaces about and between the wires. The aperture 9 is seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and in Fig. 1 the solder h is seen filling said aperture. In securing the coupling to the lug on the battery the screw a is passed through an aperture in the lug and the nut is screwed 0n the end thereof, as clearly shown. 7 5

The advantage of the embedding of the screw a and threaded block 0 in the alloy is that they are thus protected from the acid of the battery, and the advantage of the construction shown for securing the conductor in the socket is that the chafing and strain tending to part the conductor is always just exterior to the socket at the point y in Fig. 1 and in constructions where the wires are denuded at this point the conductor is weakened and left exposed to corrosion. In the present construction the strain comes where the wires are reinforced by the insulation, and the latter also protects the wire from corrosion. The outer end of the socket will fit snugly the insulated wire.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A coupling for the purpose specified, comprising a socket-piece'of relatively soft metal provided with a head having a projecting screw of harder metal with its eK- tremity secured in said head, and a stem with a socket to receive the conductor, and a nut of relatively soft metal having an internally-screw-threaded block of harder metal embedded therein to receive the screw on the socket-piece.

2. The combination With an electrical conductor having an insulating-covering except at its extremity, of a socket-piece having a socket to receive the naked extremity and a part of the covered portion of the conductor, said socket-piece having a lateral aperture Which opens into the socket, to facilitate soldering the naked portion of the conductor to the socket-piece.

The combination with an electrical conducior having an insulatirig-covering except at its extremity, of a socket-piece having a socket housing the end of said conductor, said socket embracing the naked portion and a part also of the insulated portion of the conductor, and a screw and nut for securing the socket-piece to a battery-terminal.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 26th day of June,1903, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

PATRICK KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

JAMES C. WATSON, JOHN REED. 

